Why Are Catholic Schools So Expensive?

[c2six]

i cant afford to send my kids to catholic school, and i make too much to receive financial aid....so im stuck like chuck, any suggestions

[MIKolbe]

Many times schools will either: A) make an exception in the amount of tuition or 2) offer to spread the payments out over 12 months instead of 9-10. If you haven't already, I would make an appointment with the principle to tell them how important a Catholic education is for you and your child, and see if there is something can be done that hasn't been thought of yet.

[Fragments]

They're so expensive because so many people want to go there.

I got an academic grant to study at my school and so did my brother. It's an Anglican school but I would suspect Catholic schools have similar schemes.

Good luck.

[incarnatewordsister]

Well, these days catholic school have tro pay a comparable salary to public schools. Also, in the past nuns didn't get paid. They do now. Also, insurance, it kills the budgets in catholic schools. Then there's the parochial vs. private school issue. I say go speak to the principal. May times they'll accept payment for one child and two can attend, that kind of thing.


No Catholic school should turn kids away.

Good luck.

[CatherineM]

No one wanted to attend Catholic schools where I come from until busing started. I couldn't afford to send mine either. By that time though, the Catholic schools were only about 30% Catholic kids. My boys went to public school with lots more Catholic kids.

[Theoketos]

In my diocese of Wichita, the Catholic Schools are free to practicing Catholics.

[penguin31]

Keep in mind that the actual cost of a public school is heavily subsidized by the government/taxpayers. Because many states are currently slashing education budgets, there could come a time in which either the quality of a public education dips to a point of worthlessness; or where parents could wind up footing part of the bill directly.

Catholic schools aren't reliant on the whims of legislators shifting in their favor, hence no drop in academic rigor when the purse strings get tight.

[homeschoolmom]

[quote name='Fragments' timestamp='1285090710' post='2175101']
They're so expensive because so many people want to go there.

I got an academic grant to study at my school and so did my brother. It's an Anglican school but I would suspect Catholic schools have similar schemes.

Good luck.
[/quote]
I would say that's not exactly true.....

Back in the 50s and 60s most Catholic kids went to Catholic school and it didn't cost what it does today. So the idea that demand increases the cost is not true in this case. Schools were run by sisters with, perhaps a few lay teachers. Nowadays, they are almost all lay teachers. And while I disagree that they are being paid on a similar scale as their public school counterparts, Catholic school teachers certainly are paid more than sisters.

[Wikitiki]

My mom is in a similar situation with me. Getting paid enough to not qualify for aid, but not enough to actually send me.

I would really love to go to a Catholic high school, but I've made peace with the fact that it's not in the cards right now. At least I get to go to school at all, even if it's a public one. I just make sure I know the truth, no matter what they actually teach, and that I pray that nothing I experience harms me spiritually.

And I also hear that the kids are just as bad in Catholic schools, if not worse, with the whole "send your juvenile delinquent to Catholic school, that'll straighten 'em out" philosophy and whatnot.

[StColette]

[quote name='homeschoolmom' timestamp='1285104600' post='2175156']
I would say that's not exactly true.....

Back in the 50s and 60s most Catholic kids went to Catholic school and it didn't cost what it does today. So the idea that demand increases the cost is not true in this case. Schools were run by sisters with, perhaps a few lay teachers. Nowadays, they are almost all lay teachers. And while I disagree that they are being paid on a similar scale as their public school counterparts, Catholic school teachers certainly are paid more than sisters.
[/quote]

What Hsmom said

My suggestion would be go and speak with the Principal and Parish/School Business Admin. Both hold a great deal of power. I know that some parishioners will even step up and pay for other kids tuition so that they can attend.

[CatherineM]

I went when tuition was fairly low, but we were pretty poor, and still had trouble at times. My mom helped out in the school office and library. She'd fix up torn library books and run the hand cranked mimeograph machine. My dad would drive the school bus to field trips or do janitorial work. If you are active in the life of the parish, I'd like to think they could help you out in some way.

[Winchester]

[quote name='Theoketos' timestamp='1285102802' post='2175141']
In my diocese of Wichita, the Catholic Schools are free to practicing Catholics.
[/quote]
Wouldn't help me, since I've perfected my Catholicism.

[MithLuin]

Yes, the main reason that Catholic school tuition is so much more than it used to be is that lay teachers need to not only live off their wages but support a family. Sisters worked for practically free .

Catholic school teachers are still paid significantly less than their public school counterparts (and often with less benefits), but it's a living wage in almost all cases.

Catholic education is different in the US, Canada and the UK, so I can't speak to all of them. But in the US, if you are a member of the parish that runs the elementary school, you often get a discount on tuition. But perhaps you have to contribute to the parish with envelopes or something so they have a record. Certainly ask about discounts for being a member of the parish (or family discounts for multiple kids) or scholarship opportunities or payment plans, etc. If you are proactive enough about trying to find a way to get your kid into the school...maybe someone will help you out and make it happen.

[mommas_boy]

You also need to keep in mind that tuition does not reflect the total cost of educating a child. At an area Catholic school, total cost for educating a child is $9000 for one year; tuition is only $1,000. At the Catholic school where I teach (just a few miles away), tuition is a little higher because we serve a wealthier demographic: ~$3,000/year. I'm sure that the total cost is probably very similar. Catholic schools tend to have lower costs of educating a child also, because there is less government oversight and the teacher salaries are less.

[dauntingknight]

Homeschooling is cheaper,better and you will have a stronger bond with your child.

[url="http://www.setonhome.org/"]Seton Homeschool[/url]

[url="http://www.hslda.org/Default.asp?bhcp=1"]Homeschool legal defense[/url]

[url="http://www.rainbowresource.com/index.php"]Rainbow Resource[/url]

Here are some links to help you further investigate about homeschooling if your interested.